Cobwebs are clinging to our steel and copper still and a bat just flew past the window… no, we haven’t let our Yorkshire distillery slide into a state of disrepair. Halloween is coming!
With that in mind, we’ve been thinking about some of the scariest places in Yorkshire. We cast our minds back over the spooky stories our Dad used to tell us about the area surrounding our Kettlesing home and came up with a few of the most apt places to visit this Halloween.
We’ve found everything from haunted pubs to abbeys visited by supernatural apparitions in Yorkshire – and even uncovered the mysterious background of Fountains Abbey, the place which influenced the design of the Sing Gin bottle.
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Dare you brave any of these haunted Yorkshire destinations?
The oldest building in Bradford is used as a museum these days but back in the 14th century, it was a stately home. Legend has it that there are around 20 ghosts squatting at Bolling Hall. There have been countless reports of paranormal activity in the building, including a ghostly baby who won’t stop crying, a White Lady appearance and the mysterious smell of pipe smoke wafting around the main hall. People often say that they feel hands trying to push them down the grand staircase. Spooky!
Yorkshire holds many well-known accolades, but did you know our county is home to the most haunted pub in Britain? Featured on the Most Haunted TV series, The Fleece Inn dates back 400 years. Over the years, there have been reports of murders, secret tunnels and even a sighting of a headless horseman. The current owners say that glasses often fall off shelves for no reason. They believe that there are around 15 ghosts living at the pub. But don’t worry, they’re the friendly sort. The landlady’s favourite is called Harold…
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You’ll often see people plodding around Whitby in gothic outfits, and there are loads of ghost walks for tourists in this spooky Yorkshire destination. The inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Whitby Abbey sits majestically overlooking the harbour below. If you visit around this time of year, you might just have an eerie encounter on the cobbles. A phantom horse-drawn carriage is said to haunt the grounds of St Mary’s Church, which is located at the top of the 199 steps leading up to Whitby Abbey.
The beauty of Fountains Abbey’s folly was one of our inspirations when we created Sing Gin’s bottle design, but long before John Aislabie created the peaceful gardens, Fountains Hall was dripping in ghoulish history. Built by Sir Stephen Proctor between 1598 and 1604, the hall is thought to be haunted by the blue ghost of his daughter who witnessed his evil doings and remains at the hall for eternity. Guests often say they can hear chanting from within the Chapel of Nine Altars – said to be a ghostly choir of monks who used to live here. There’s also a”shining golden lady” in eighteenth century dress who would appear to the children living there when they took ill in the night.
Once the largest woollen mill in the world, Armley Mills is thought to be haunted by the ghosts of its poorly treated workers, some of whom died in a fire in the old corn mill. The ghosts of a Victorian woman searching for a lost child and a gent in a top hat and cape have been reported here. On overnight ghost hunts, people have heard slamming doors, footsteps and items disappearing and re-appearing in completely different places.
The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2nd July 1644, during the English Civil War of 1642–1646. Oliver Cromwell slept in the Old Hall near the battlefield the night before the battle and it’s thought that his ghost haunts the building. But thats not all. Records show that people have been reporting ghostly apparitions of groups of men trudging along in the area since at least 1932. They’re thought to be the lost souls of weary Royalist troops and Cavaliers.
The ghosts of green-clad Roman Legionnaires carrying round shields make frequent appearances in the cellars of the Treasurer’s House. First witnessed by an apprentice plumber in 1953, this is one of the most famous ghost sightings in Yorkshire. You can visit and take a tour of the ‘most haunted house in England’ – the Treasurers House sits above a Roman road that dates back to 106 AD but the cellars are part excavated so there’s lots to see.
A black-robed ghost known as ‘Black Canyon’ is rumoured to haunt the 12th-century Augustinian monastery ruins. The monk was said to have died shortly after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. If you’re visiting the abbey, listen for the sounds of his footsteps and see if you can detect the mysterious smell of incense.
Yorkshire’s ghosts won’t be getting near our Sing Gin stash, don’t worry! The fearless gargoyle that decorates our bottle also guards our distillery and keeps us – and the gin – safe.
Need a stiff drink after these scary stories? Order a bottle of Sing Gin today.
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